pop goes the ice cream

As someone who has blood sugar issues, I am obsessed with salty snacks. More specifically, I am obsessed with popcorn. As any one of my fellow team members can attest, my desk area is almost always littered with a few dropped kernels of my favorite treat.

Now, I know what you’re thinking—“Those Target people are off their rocker! Who would want POPCORN flavored ice cream with POTATO CHIPS in it?!!”—but think about giving this salty/sweet sensation a chance while I tell you a little about how the business analyst is involved in bringing in new, innovative items like Cinema Snack to Target’s guests.

As business analysts, our primary responsibility is to get inventory to the right place at the right time in the right amount. But while that is our primary duty, we are also captains for strategic inventory initiatives for our team or division, mentors to incoming team members, and thought partners for developing owned brand or exclusive national brand items.

Throughout the year, my business unit (buyer, analyst, and merchandise specialist) works with Target’s owned brand team to develop and test new owned brand ice creams. From food scientists to packaging engineers, I have the opportunity to work with and learn from a huge cross-functional team. We work together to formulate ideas, and we even have big meetings in our test kitchens called “cuttings” where we get to try multiple variations of particular item we’re looking to bring in. These meetings encompass everything from deciding which percent milkfat will strike the perfect balance of taste versus cost to understanding what size our vendor’s casepack should be to make it most efficient for our stores and for our supply chain.

At Target, your main role might be to order and analyze the inventory and supply chain, but you are also responsible for so much more. You have the opportunity to impact company initiatives and help create products that will delight and inspire our guest with items they can only find at Target.

To put it simply, you are more than just an analyst at Target—you are a team member who has the potential and ability to work with hundreds of others to create something really special for our guest. For me, that’s been the opportunity to help create some really fun ice cream flavors that bring people joy and happiness with every single scoop.

But imagine…what could it be for you?

Interested in a career as a business analyst? Search and apply for jobs here.

Marlene Elstad

June 9th, 2014

This article inspired me to look for this new and very original ice cream. I trust that it will be on the shelves soon so this octogenarian cran spread the news among her many friends. We are always looking for new and tasty (salty) desserts. If only I could be a taster and advertiser for ice cream, my favorite dessert!